Whilst there is wide spread interest in researching community-based sustainability initiatives (for example, community food projects, community energy), far less attention has thus far been afforded to the land on which such practices take place- in particular, how that land is owned and how the natural resource base is managed. Land resources can be used to produce a wide range of renewable products.

It is also increasingly being viewed as a multi-functional resource capable of supporting various place-based practices of consumption. Drawing on preliminary research on the regulation and ownership of land in the UK and north America, this paper explores how different models and patterns of land ownership and shared land use can influence the ability of communities to develop collective forms of sustainability practice.

It also looks at the implications of adaptations and transitions in land ownership for sustainability of the natural resource base more generally.